


Deliberation

by dendriax



Series: things are all fictional in this [2]
Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Ghosts, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Conversations, Cuddling & Snuggling, Friendship, Hospitalization, Illnesses, M/M, Road Trips, Swearing, Telepathy, This Is Not Going To Go The Way You Think
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-23
Updated: 2019-02-23
Packaged: 2019-11-04 05:34:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,343
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17892461
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dendriax/pseuds/dendriax
Summary: Between Matts' talking to himself when he thinks no one notices and Marns' continued hobby as an unwitting voice of the deeply unconscious, Davo finds the radio flipping through stations by itself a lot less disconcerting than it should be.Or: Davo has seen a lot of weird stuff life has thrown their way already, but seeing Eichs shimmering/flickering away off Marns is undoubtedly the weirdest to date. Matts agrees.





	Deliberation

**Author's Note:**

> Again, if you are or personally know the people mentioned in this, please click away right about now. This is purely fictional and nothing is meant to cause anyone offense.
> 
> Things would be clearer (that is to also say kinda spoiled) if you read the first part first, but I think this thing can be read on its own.
> 
> More spoiler-y notes at the end.

Marns' roommate is such an asshole it wouldn't surprise Davo if his fucking face is displayed next to the definition of the word.

That said, cuddling Marns is still kinda the beau idéal highlight of Davo's day, so here Davo is, even though the same cannot be said with fucking Eichs and his fucking bullshit.

"I take fucking offense at that," Eichs declares from his bed of wretched solitude after Davo points the fact out while Marns' "Just admit I'm right about how well you two would get along already," is no help in the slightest.

And so the pettifoggery begins, a bit early than usual today. But that just means maybe Eichs' tiring tirade can also be tired out earlier, too, so. Fingers crossed.

-

Given his track record, Davo should know better than to think his own new roommate would be any better.

Davo knows Matts will be out the second the doctors say he's clear to leave so, for once, he succeeds in resisting his own tendencies to be "the patron fucking saint of lost fucking causes" -- Eichs' word, not Davo's -- and follows Matts' instruction to "kindly fuck off" without feeling too much like a dick about it.

Matts wheeling-ly follows him a couple of days of "Fuck Canada and its fucking bullshit" later, though, and it's a special kind of pain every time he has to explain how he can half-telepathically communicate with Marns so he just... doesn't.

No one likes talking about what's wrong with them. Davo and Eichs have "visited" the rink where Marns got concussed, but that's it. Eichs still insists he's here because he "passed out a bit. And don't fucking deny that my bull-fucking-shit is the fucking joy of your fucking life, you fuckhead."

And Davo's...

Davo's a little grateful to be saved from Matts' unblinking stare when Eichs steps in.

-

Matts takes some convincing to believe that Davo can "psychically" hear Marns even though Marns seems to be deeply unconscious. And Davo wasn't gonna explain, really, but has to after Eichs offered to knock Matts out so Matts can "get the fuck off on the fucking way Marns is fucking stuck in a shitty fucking ice rink" for himself. Davo figures Matts is plastered with enough casts already.

According to Marns, Matts and his I'm-epically-chill-with-no-fucking-nonsense nonsense is what's been missing from their fucking lives. Davo and Eichs dryly and profanely disagree, which awakens Eichs' disgust of them agreeing even once. No need to say that Eichs excels at being a fucking hypocrite, too.

They all end up being friends, Davo can admit that much. Doesn't mean he'll ever admit Marns has been right again.

-

Eichs' offer to check Marns into the boards hard enough to wake him up sounds staggeringly dumb both in foresight and hindsight.

Doesn't mean it doesn't work.

Doesn't help soften the "Everyone fucking leaves one way or another," and the "It's alright. What-the-fuck-ever, you don't have time for fucking everything," and the "Thanks," and the "Take your fucking time. I'll fucking wait." Eichs has left them with, either.

-

Marns moves into their room the second he's awake, kinda. There's no question that Matts will go home pretty soon and they're gonna share a room after but Marns can't wait, claiming half-earnest/half-jokingly -- after Matts looks that I'm-annoyed-for-my-supposed-chill's-sake-but-secretly-really-enjoy-everything-you-throw-at-me kinda way that he acts around Marns -- that he wants in Matts' fucking bed, which makes Matts splutter before face-palming to hide the way he's blushing all over.

They all know Marns can't stand being alone in the room he used to share with Eichs, not that any of them will ever bring that up.

So the three of them share two beds for a while.

Then Matts flies back to southwestern America and the other bed doesn't get used for the rest of Marns' stay.

And then it's just Davo alone.

Well, not really. Obviously, there are other people in the hospital.

Still, Marns comes to cuddle with Davo every day -- even after Davo switched room -- and stays the night when he can, which is more often than not, saying it's more convenient since most of his shit is here and he needs Davo's help with schoolwork and whatever else Marns can pull out of his ass. And they all text a lot. Davo can't imagine how Marns and Matts can text this much during school days and don't get their phones confiscated.

It shouldn't be enough, but somehow Davo never feels really alone.

-

Davo knows the doctors have been doing their best, but it doesn't change the facts.

There's another sketch, another road map, another course of action, and the more Davo listens, the more he's sure he won't make everyone go through that roller-coasting merry-go-round over again.

He just... can't, not after what they've been through, not with these odds, and not after Eichs--

So Davo tells the doctors -- this time he can choose, now that he's not a minor anymore -- and then he tells everyone who needs to know. They all protest and they cry and he ends up soothing them instead of contrariwise, but each and every one of them agrees eventually.

-

Marns insists on coming with, wouldn't budge no matter what. Davo's pretty sure Marns' "Let me" is impossible to say no to.

Matts appears out of nowhere the day they're set to leave, resolutely livid. Davo'd protest more, but this way Matts and Marns will have each other.

And Eichs... Davo cannot believe Eichs still hasn't really stopped finding new ways to surprise everyone with his asshole mind-fucking bullshit. And Davo already owes him a leg, fuck.

-

Davo stirs awake in the back seat to Marns mishandling the radio and dramatically announcing "Fuck you! I swear I'll drive you into a ditch and leave you there if you don't stop messing with me and my swanky taste in music!"

There's a pause, then the radio flips back again.

"You both have shitty fucking tastes in music so stop fucking messing with him already!" Matts half-yells long-sufferingly from above Davo, which is not a good pillow talk. But then again, Matts isn't as good at cuddling as Marns. He's improving though.

"Are you one of those exotic people who refers to a car as a he?" Marns digresses, raising a valid point.

"No, I wasn't-- Fuck, look at the road while you drive!" Matts yells, full-on this time.

Matts is cranky/grumpy a lot, and Davo would blame it on not having gotten off enough, like when they were first getting used to each others back at the hospital. Except they all know Matts picks up sometimes, goes home with girls a couple of times, but mostly just makes sure their motel for the night is hourly charged and checks in to another room for an hour or so then comes back to sleep in their room.

Davo reaches a hand up to cup Matts' face. "You should get off more."

Marns LOLs. Have Davo mentioned how much he likes old-fashioned acronyms?

"I get laid all the fucking time," Matts asserts mendaciously.

"We all know you stopped bringing girls back a while ago," Davo states factually. Matts blushes and Marns looks like he'd be ROTFL right now if he wasn't driving. "So leave those sad motel beds alone and just come join me and Marns and our serious fucking business already."

Marns stops laughing and starts blushing. Serves him right for chickening out on asking Matts himself.

Matts blushes harder and opens his mouth to presumably protest but then just stops and glares daggers at the empty passenger seat, muttering a "Fuck you" under his breath.

Marns has spent some time musing with Davo over why Matts talks to himself when he thinks no one would notice sometimes since he reappeared in "fucking Canada", which might have something to do with his recent habit of pausing while they're talking.

Matts grasps Davo's hand with one of his to ease it back down and resumes petting through Davo's hair with the other, and so Davo cuddles into Matts more and lets it go for now.

-

He's... not getting better.

He can feel it. There's no denying it.

Getting drunk kinda helps. Getting high is better.

You don't have time for fucking everything.

Marns and Matts shouldn't be here when--

Anyway, Matts is taking a walk, so all he has to do is get Marns out, too. And then--

-

Waking up to Matts and Marns crowding over him is partially expected, but not--

"Davo! You fucking dumb fuck--"

Davo lets the surprisingly-comforting noise flow through him when Marns comes closer and hugs him, thoroughly with every fiber of his being. Davo hugs back, thoroughly, too. Marns' hugs are the best. Davo soaks him up as much as he can.

The stream of comforting profanities doesn't stop, though.

"Eichs?" Davo asks into the crook of Marns' neck, glaring half-assedly at the source.

Marns gently pulls back a tiny bit to look at him. "Eichs?"

Davo's gaze meets Marns for a second and then he looks over Marns' and Matts' shoulders again and, yeah, Eichs is still there, frowning like he thinks someone's fucking dumb but doesn't know if it's himself or not.

Marns now looks curious, and like he wants to check Davo for concussion. So Davo turns to Matts, who just looks stunned and not like he thinks Davo is being incomprehensible.

"Eichs?" Matts croaks out and, after Davo nods, reaches back to feel around blindly until his hand meets Eichs' arm and then tugs Eichs closer towards where they are on the bed. "You can see this asshole fucking apparition?"

To that, Eichs gives Matts his don't-fucking-talk-like-you're-fucking-better-than-me-you-fucker look for half a second and then directs his attention back to Davo, scowling impatiently like "Fuck, can you?"

Davo nods again, and wonders why Eichs is wearing the same clothes as Matts.

They just keep staring in silence for a while, and then there's Eichs' "Say 'Matts, you fucking asshole. Why didn't you fucking mention our fucking amigo Eichs has been fucking gracing us with his gracious fucking presence this whole fucking time?' if you can see me. Fucking go."

And Davo wouldn't under normal circumstances repeat any bullshit that comes out of Eichs' trap but figures he can just this one time, which results in Matts giving out a very heartfelt "Thank fuck," and following that with "Now he'll fucking have you to gravel the fuck out off instead of fucking me." And this would explain so much about those nights Matts spent getting off loudly if Matts means it literally.

"Anyone gonna fill me in?" Marns cuts in, looking confused but gamely ready to hear whatever bullshit they're gonna spout his way.

Davo leaves Matts to be the intermediator this time, just because.

-

"It doesn't hurt, right?" Davo brings up when it's just him and Eichs. "Being the way you are now?"

"No." Eichs chances a side-glance at him and then quickly looks away after meeting his eyes.

This won't do, Davo decides. "You choose now to be fucking unforthcoming?" He says as he yanks Eichs towards him.

"I don't want you to get any fucking ideas." Eichs feels very solid everywhere they're touching. Davo finds that disconcertingly assuring. "Fuck, I don't know how this shit works. What if--?"

"I already got fucking ideas, even before you--" Eichs is glowering at him head-on now. "Things have been fucking shitty for too fucking long and--"

"I'll rip your damn leg off and fucking beat you up with it," Eichs snaps, and then sighs explosively. "I know shit you're stuck with fucking sucks but don't-- I meant it when I said I'd fucking wait." Davo can say with absolute certainty that he's never known of any instance of Eichs initiating any hugs before but Eichs is doing it now, on purpose. "Nothing's fucking changed for me. I can't promise a damn thing but I'll do my fucking best, so can you just..."

Eichs doesn't finish the sentence, just trails off into what can be fairly described as a desperate fucking maneuver.

Davo nods anyway.

-

Waking up to Matts' "I can't find Eichs anywhere and Marns wouldn't wake up," is...

Fuck.

Matts is... Davo shouldn't have let him come with. Matts legit left everything he knows thousands of miles away for this. Fuck.

"I'll wake Marns up," Davo says to the top of Matts' head, fights the cold that comes crashing in. "Eichs did that one time, I can try--"

"No! You fucking can't! When Eichs fucking did that, he--" Matts is snuffling into Davo's chest and shaking all over, his hold crushing. Davo doesn't mind that it hurts.

A lot is said. It takes a while for Matts to simmer down.

Then Davo hears it, hears their conversation, hears Eichs' "Your psychedelic fucking head is so fucking weird as freaky weird-ass fuck," and Marns' "One of the reasons why everyone loves it. And I know you fucking love me, too."

And, like, Davo has seen a lot of weird stuff life and afterlife have thrown at them already. Still, seeing Eichs shimmering/flickering away off Marns is abso-fucking-lutely the weirdest... yet.

Matts wholeheartedly agrees.

-

"There aren't as many fucking moose as I was fucking led to believe," Eichs muses, eyes trained into the wilderness they're passing through.

"You wanna watch them fucking get it on?" Matts asks astutely/ill-advisedly from the driver's seat.

"I mean, you can. It's within our fucking parameters and it'd be our fucking pleasure to put on a fucking show for you, esteemed fucking master Eichs," Marns offers, rubs his cheek against Davo's curls. The "Even though I don't know why you'd wanna get off of our fucking program, considering you three have been having larger-than-life foursomes while I'm unjustly stuck with lonely threesomes," is accompanied by an improbably sad, sad look.

Matts guffaws, Eichs scoffs, and Davo can't help but laugh.

It's nowhere near ideal, but as Eichs has said, you don't have time for fucking everything.

Doesn't mean what they've got is not enough.

**Author's Note:**

> Warning for major character turning into a ghost and illnesses of the terminal kind, for obvious reasons. Things in the story are purposefully kept vague. Rated M for I'm paranoid still.
> 
> If you've reached here after having read the whole thing, thank you for reading and hope you find this worthwhile. I would like to hear your thoughts if you're so inclined. Kudos are keenly appreciated and comments are read and re-read excessively, I assure you from past experiences.
> 
> More content and notes in the first part if you haven't read that already. This is for all of you who like sad and sometimes weird stuff, especially YOU who did want more, you know who you are. Honestly, I never thought I would post the first part nor would there be a second part (and right at this moment a chunk of one of the remaining two POVs has already taken form *gulps*).

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [Providential Aids](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20457755) by [dendriax](https://archiveofourown.org/users/dendriax/pseuds/dendriax)




End file.
